Author(s):
Nicol, Martin
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Beutel, Albrecht
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Fuchs, Ottmar
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Felmy, Karl Christian
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Hermelink, Jan
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Et al.
[German Version]
I. General Preaching (from Lat.
praedicare, “proclaim publicly”) is spiritual or religious speech, in contrast, for example, to forensic speech, political speech, or celebratory speech. Its setting is the worship of the community (Ministerial offices), church activities such as evangelism, devotions (Devotion [Attitude]), and ordinations (Consecration/Ordination/Dedication), and – in various forms – the media (see IV below). ¶ Communication in preaching, reduced to its basic elements, can be represented as a triangle of the preacher, the text, and the audience (see IV and V below). Theologically, preaching stands between the poles of the Word of God and human speech (K. Barth), between a rhetorical exercise and a divine event. Preaching essentially presents itself as an exposition of a biblical pericope (II) or words addressed to the gathered congregation (homily). In expounding texts of the Hebrew Bible, the church in the New Testament period was already drawing on Jewish preaching (see VII below). In the Christian churches, preaching expounds texts from both parts of the Bible. It was not the emergence of historical criticism that turned the Christian preaching of the Old Testament into a problem demanding a particular hermeneutic. Recently dialogue between Christians and Jews has opened prospects for a “relationally self-sufficient” approach to preaching the OT (Schöttler). In addition there has always been topical preaching, using scriptural resources beyond a particular text. Typical topics are political, social, ecclesiastical, or ethical. Topical preaching is particularly relevant to political worship (Political sermon). Other types of topical…